Path of Exile - Open Beta on January 23rd

Grinding Gear Games sent us this press release, announcing an open beta for Path of Exile later this month:

Path of Exile Launches Open Beta on January 23

"Best Upcoming Indie Game" unveils 50 percent more content in Act 3

Auckland, New Zealand-January 10, 2013- Grinding Gear Games announced today that the highly anticipated action role-playing game (RPG) Path of Exile will enter Open Beta on January 23. The game is currently in Closed Beta but has already raised over USD$1.8 million in crowd-funded support, with those supporters gaining early access to the beta. Act 3 of the Path of Exile story will also be unveiled, in which players will explore abandoned docks, markets, temples and sewers in the ruined city of Sarn to further uncover the dark truth of their exile.

"We're excited to have reached the point where we can finally throw open the doors and invite everyone in," said Chris Wilson, producer for Grinding Gear Games. "We have one of the best and most supportive communities on the Internet, and their input has been invaluable in making Path of Exile what it is. We hope they'll be delighted with all the new content."

Current players have until the Open Beta to purchase the special in-game kiwi bird pet. The permanent pet is the national symbol of New Zealand and is exclusively available to Closed Beta players. Additionally, there will be no further character wipes once Open Beta launches.

Path of Exile was recently named "Players' Choice Best Upcoming Game" by Indie DB. Over 78,000 readers voted in the awards.

Path of Exile is a PC online action role-playing game set in a dark fantasy world. Featuring ethical microtransactions, the game is free-to-play, but not pay-to-win. Playing as one of six character classes, players find themselves banished for their past misdeeds to the dark fantasy world of Wraeclast. There, they will encounter hundreds of species of opponents laden with loot and mysterious artifacts as they explore the abandoned continent.

Key features of Path of Exile:

A dark and deep action RPG

Build unlimited unique characters on a gigantic skill tree

Combine over 110 skill gems to create unique combat strategies

Explore a dark and gritty world rendered from a fixed 3D perspective

Download and play for free, but never 'pay-to-win'

Explore randomly generated levels for extreme replayability

Craft weapons, magic items and even end-game maps to become more powerful

Cooperate or compete with thousands of other exiles in a persistent online world

In terms of mechanics, it's definitely very interesting. That said, I fear that there's not enough content variety - especially for a game that's supposed to be perpetually sustained by cyclical repetition of this content. Three acts will hardly cut it - and I think it needs 1-2 more to really work for long term play.

Well I am big aRPG fan so I will definitively going to give it a go.I tried for one of those free beta weekends and while my first impressions where positive there where 2 things I disliked.First all abilities I seen have no cooldown you could spam them as long as you have mana(or HP in my case since I went for key stone that allows you to cast from your HP) second even on biggest zoom camera is too close.

Originally Posted by Nameless one
Well I am big aRPG fan so I will definitively going to give it a go.I tried for one of those free beta weekends and while my first impressions where positive there where 2 things I disliked.First all abilities I seen have no cooldown you could spam them as long as you have mana(or HP in my case since I went for key stone that allows you to cast from your HP) second even on biggest zoom camera is too close.

I agree that the view is too close - and I'm not sure why they've made it that way. You do get used to it, however.

As for no cooldown - I personally love that. I hate cooldowns and I consider it a byproduct of MMOs - where latency created that particular necessity. I've never been a fan of giving players too many powers that have timers - as that's just a source of frustration. Better to balance cost and power in some other way.

That said, I don't actually know if there are powers with cooldowns - as I haven't played the game that much.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
As for no cooldown - I personally love that. I hate cooldowns and I consider it a byproduct of MMOs - where latency created that particular necessity. I've never been a fan of giving players too many powers that have timers - as that's just a source of frustration. Better to balance cost and power in some other way.

I like cooldowns because it make tactically chose between consistent damage vs high burst and you would have to use abilities more tactically.Also it allows better ability variety (if you have no cooldowns you can't have AoE stun because you would be able to stunlock enemies as simple example).Each to their own taste .Also I am talking about ARPG like 10-20 second cooldowns.

How good system is actually in PoE idk I played it too little but we will find out soon enough.